The present invention relates to a light-sensitive material developing apparatus, and more particularly to a technology to promote oxidation of a processing liquid having a bleaching ability and minimize reduction of the power of the processing liquid.
Photographic processing of a negative color silver halide light-sensitive material is composed of color developing, bleaching, fixing or bleach-fixing, stabilizing or washing. If the processing liquid, specifically the processing liquid including bleaching is not suitable oxidized, deterioration of the processing liquid advances rapidly. If such condition is remained, reduction of finished developing is resulted in. Therefore, in order to inhibit deterioration phenomenon of the processing liquid, a means to feed air into the processing liquid by means of an air pump as shown in Konica KP50QA and Noritsu V50 is adopted, or a means to enhance opportunity to cause the processing liquid to contact oxygen in the air by spraying the processing liquid to the ambient air from a shower-type nozzle.
However, since the above-mentioned air-pump-using air feeding type and a shower type include air into the processing liquid. Therefore, bubbling occurs. Bubbles overflows outside the tank so that the surrounding is contaminated. In addition, if the processing liquid containing the overflowed bubbles enters into the adjoining processing liquid, fatal problems appears in processability.
Further, in the case of an air pump type, an air pump is separately necessary, and in the case of a shower type, shower tank is necessary separately. Therefore, cost is enhanced and the apparatus is enlarged.
In the case of a shower type, circulation use for stirring the processing liquid and for showering the processing liquid, if the flow amount of stirring and circulation becomes small, stirring property becomes deteriorated. In order to avoid aforesaid problem, a large scale pump becomes necessary. Therefore, equipment cost is enhanced and downsizing of the equipment is hindered.